For those of us in the northern hemisphere, we have at least a few more months until farmer’s markets start filling up with locally-grown, full-of-flavour produce. But the first few sunny days of spring always seem to stir cravings for lighter, fresher meals after a winter’s worth of rich comfort food.

Adding fresh herbs to your dishes – either as a garnish or as ingredients – can help bridge the gap while we wait for vegetable gardens to come to life. They’ll provide the burst of flavour at an affordable price point.

If you tend to steer clear of fresh herbs on account of all that chopping, this microplane herb mill from Williams-Sonoma will substitute nicely for a sous chef. Fill the mill with herbs then let the stainless steel scissoring blades mince herbs with just a twist of your wrist. Best of all, clean up is a (fresh, spring) breeze since the blades can be tossed in the dishwasher. After all, you likely have other spring cleaning to get to.

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At Home with Kim Vallee is a blog about stylish living and easy entertaining where you will discover time-saving ideas, inspirations, and my best finds. I cover everything from home decor, design, food, party ideas to living in style with kids.